Humanities News

Music in Provence: musicians shine in second house concert in memory of Elmain Smit

Soft notes floated through the afternoon air like a gentle breeze across lavender fields. The scent of sunflowers and the glow of golden light transformed Prof Paul Smit’s home into a small corner of Provence, carrying guests on a journey of music, memory and quiet celebration.

On Saturday, 13 September, Prof…

NWU launches Centre for Digital Humanities with inspiring Spring School Programme

By Jalize Fourie

The Faculty of Humanities at North-West University (NWU) took a bold step into the future of research and innovation with the official launch of its Centre for Digital Humanities (CDH) on Friday, 19 September, at the Riverside Sun Hotel in Vanderbijlpark.

The launch was the highlight of…

Faculty of Humanities celebrates community engagement at showcase

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu.

Community engagement is about people meeting people and sharing knowledge. It is done to touch lives, strengthen human connections, and remind us that learning has its deepest meaning…

Veteran broadcaster Tim Modise to deliver public lecture

One of South Africa’s most experienced news broadcasters, Tim Modise, returns to the place where his career started, Mahikeng, to deliver a public lecture on how the media have shaped cultural identify in democratic South Africa.

The lecture on 6 October is a collaboration between the Journalism Sub-programme of the North-West…

Study sheds light on community perceptions of mental health care

By Gofaone Motsamai

With fewer than half the people requiring treatment for mental health getting it, traditional healers could be the answer to South Africa’s pressing mental health challenges.

This is one the findings of Goratileona Mashishi’s master’s study on the perceptions of Mahikeng community…

Recognising top achievers in academic mentorship programme

The Optentia research unit, in collaboration with the People and Culture department at the North-West University (NWU), recently honoured a group of exceptional academic mentors and mentees who completed the university’s flagship development programmes: Being a Successful Academic Mentor and Being a Successful Academic Mentee.

Between…

Criminologist says tenderpreneur calls for Minister Groenewald’s dismissal unjustified, unwarranted

• Dr Casper Lötter: “Tenderpreneurs only care for their profits and have no regard for the crises in public safety that they have unleashed.”

• “It is imperative that all South Africans resist the revival of this American monster known as the Prison-Industrial-Complex on South African soil.”

• “In this struggle against crime,…

Joubert Schoeman’s sevens dream becomes a reality

Joubert Schoeman has achieved a lifelong dream by signing his official Springbok Sevens contract. He went from being a player for the North-West University (NWU) Eagles to becoming a national rugby star.

Schoeman, a BCom Honours student in Management Accounting, was a key player in the Springbok Sevens "A" side that won the prestigious…

NWU webinar explores social policy as a tool for African nation building

From Ghana to South Africa, similarities in health, education and social policy programmes have raised questions about how public concerns over foreign nationals shape solidarity across the continent.

This was the focus of a webinar hosted by the School of Government Studies, Political Studies and International Relations at the North-…

Guest lecture unpacks the causes of municipal infrastructure decay

Is the decay of municipal infrastructure in South Africa the result of poor monitoring and evaluation, poor planning, or deeper systemic issues? This was the central question posed by Dr Robert Nkuna during his guest lecture on Friday, 15 August 2025, at the School of Government Studies at the North-West University (NWU).

Dr Nkuna, who…